Nakuru, Kenya – The County Government of Nakuru is taking a significant step towards sustainable land management with the implementation of a 10-year Spatial Plan. This initiative is aimed at managing the county’s ongoing land-sector reforms and addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization and incompatible land uses.
According to Kenya News Agency, Nakuru County is experiencing rapid urban growth across its 11 Sub-Counties. The Spatial Plan is designed to regulate this growth and guide urban development, ensuring a balance between development demands and environmental protection while achieving social and economic objectives.
The plan aims to resolve issues such as mushrooming incompatible land uses, lack of space for critical public utilities, and boundary disputes in urban centers. It is also expected to improve county revenue through property rating and controlled urban development. Deputy Governor Kones highlighted the importance of the plan in accommodating population growth, offering space for new settlements, and encouraging investments across various sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, and hospitality.
Kones emphasized the need to align strategies to maximize land utility and protect eco-fragile resources sustainably. He acknowledged the adverse impacts of land transformation activities, such as settlements expansion and land clearing, on the county’s natural assets and wildlife resources.
The county government, under Governor Susan Kihika’s administration, is committed to establishing a Geographic Information System (GIS) lab. This lab will utilize technology in planning and surveying space to address the challenges of incompatible land uses. The GIS lab will also play a crucial role in preparing the County Spatial Plan and digitizing land records to enhance security and minimize manipulation by unscrupulous land officials.
Deputy Governor Kones assured residents that the GIS lab would facilitate faster service delivery. He also noted that the Spatial Plan policy would guide land development, defining areas for pasture, agriculture, and housing. This policy is expected to provide guidance for land development and address historical land injustices, enabling the county to reclaim public land.
The spatial plan, a legal document anchored in the constitution and county government act, guides land use in Nakuru County. It is part of the county’s participation in the Kenya Urban Support Program (KUSP), funded by the World Bank to support urban development investments.
The plan addresses developmental challenges while recognizing Nakuru’s resource endowment. It recommends strategies to enhance economic niches and mitigate issues such as regional imbalances, unguided urbanization, land fragmentation, and under-utilized resources.
Nakuru’s rapid growth, attributed to factors like its strategic location, presents both opportunities and challenges. The new Spatial Plan is a crucial step towards ensuring that this growth is managed sustainably, balancing development needs with environmental conservation.